15 Nov Community Thanksgiving Day Meal
Join us as the Community Thanksgiving Meal Reaches its 20-Year Milestone!
This story is featured in the Press Herald.
Freeport Community Services’ Community Thanksgiving Meal is a special part of the Freeport community, offering a free, hot meal on Thanksgiving Day to anyone who cares to join, bringing people of all walks of life together in the true spirit of the holiday – and this year, the tradition celebrates its 20th anniversary.
The community supports the meal by donating food and volunteering to cook, prepare and deliver meals for upwards of 300 people. Local businesses also join in the effort – farms offer produce, restaurants send prepared menu items.
“It was designed for people who were in the area and might otherwise be alone, so that no one has to be alone on Thanksgiving,” said Jonas Werner, who started the tradition in his former restaurant and still heads up the effort today. “My grandmother used to say to me that Thanksgiving is the most special holiday because it doesn’t matter what your background is or your religion or your politics. People should come together.”
The meal is part of a larger effort to distribute food to people in need in our area on this occasion.
Each year, the Boy Scouts drop off bags around local neighborhoods and will return this Saturday to pick them up, filled with donated food from neighbors. Last year, they brought in over 3,000 pounds of food, and their goal this year is 3,500 pounds.
The Spar Cove Neighborhood holds an annual food drive that this year delivered 655 pounds of food. St. Jude’s Church delivered 477 pounds, Atlantic Federal Credit Union – 152 pounds, along with several other smaller drives.
Belanger Farms in Lewiston will donate about 1000 pounds of potatoes, 200 pounds each of onions and carrots, and around 800 pounds of winter squash. Maine Beer Company donated $2,000 to support the effort, in addition to individual financial donations.
Some of the donated food is distributed through food boxes, while the rest supports the meal.
For the meal itself, Gritty’s will be roasting the turkeys, and other businesses will contribute dishes, including First Baptist Church of Freeport, First Paris Congregational Church, Freeport Grange, Linda Bean’s Maine Kitchen, Royal River Grill House and Tuscan Bistro.
The event will take place on Thanksgiving day, Nov. 23, from 11am to 2pm. Seating will be continuous. Volunteers will deliver hot meals to those who cannot come from 11:30am – 1pm.